Viktoria Haack

PHOTOSNACK #659 | SUNDAY EDITION

Every Sunday, I contact photographers previously featured on PHOTOSNACK and ask them to send me their spontaneous thoughts, observations, reflections, or advice.

Today, I am sharing the message I received from Viktoria Haack:

Lately, I’ve been thinking about how much of our photography is shaped by personality. Not just in what we choose to photograph, but how we approach the act itself.

I’m naturally more introverted. I like quiet. I tend to observe before I act. Over time, I’ve realized how much that temperament informs the way I use a camera.

In the beginning, I used to plan a lot; poses for people, perfect backdrops for landscapes, the exact light I wanted to chase. But often, when things didn’t go as expected, I’d feel disappointed. And when they did go to plan, the resulting images sometimes felt… a little empty.

The photos I return to now are rarely the ones I mapped out. They’re the ones that caught me off guard: A glance I hadn’t noticed until later, a wild animal stepping into view, light falling on a surface I wasn’t paying attention to. The common thread? I wasn’t controlling the moment; I was responding to it.

That instinctive, reactive way of working feels deeply tied to my nature. I don’t want to bend the world to my vision, I want to be present enough to see what it’s offering. Perhaps that’s also why I’ve never settled into a single photographic genre. I’ve photographed landscapes, wildlife, people, domestic scenes. I was often told that wasn’t the “right” way to do photography, that I should niche down to be taken seriously. But choosing to stay open and responsive to what speaks to me has always felt like the most honest reflection of how I see the world. I’ve never felt scattered - just curious. I don’t have a tidy conclusion, except to say that I’m trying to follow my curiosity and remain truthful in my work - even in a time when so much feels curated and performative.

My work isn’t connected by subject, it’s connected by how I engage with it - quietly, intuitively, with a willingness to let the scene lead.

How much of our best work comes not from strategy, but from trusting who we are? From letting instinct, not expectation, be the guide?

Viktoria Haack was featured in PHOTOSNACK #615.

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Sunday Editions connect you with photographers whose work you previously explored through PHOTOSNACK.

I want to reveal some authentic parts of the people behind the cameras. I don't ask them any specific questions. I ask them to share whatever comes to mind when they think about YOU, the newsletter readers. It makes their responses genuine and personal.

Until next time,
Tomasz